Improved mail-bag



Z. T. SWEET.

MAIL BAG.

No, 94,526. Patented Sept. 7,1869.

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' inited States ZARA TOUSEY SWEET, OF DAVISVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent No. 94,526, dated September 7, 1869.

IMPRVED MAIL-BAG.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom. 'it may conce/rn Be it known that I, ZARA Tonsny SWEET, of Davisville, county of Yolo, State of California, have iuvented an' Improved Mail-Bag; and I do hereby dcciare the following description aufl accompanying drawings are sufficient tn enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains, to make and use my said invention or improvement. without further invention or experii'nent.

My invention relates to an improvement in mailbags or sacks, in which letters and small parcels andv packages are placed, for transmission by post from place to place, and is intended to render them more convenient for Vreceiving the letters which are to be placed in them, as well as to provide a secure fastening for the bag and It consists in securing to the bag, around the open end, a heavy wire or metal rod, which is bent to the proper form, to make a convenient-shaped opening or mouth, for the reception ofthe mail-matter. This orifice or mouth is closed by a lid or cap, madeof the proper form, and provided with a groove passing enp tirely around its edge, oi' the proper size to receive the wire, The -wire is drawn tightly around this lid, and confined by a padlock, embracing each end of the wire, which is properly arranged for receiving it.

In order to better illustrate my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, and letters marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a view ofthe cover.

Figure 2 is a view of the bag and fastening.

Similar letters of reference in each of the figures indicatc like parcs.

,A is a sack or bag, of any of the styles or forms of bags for containing mail or express-matter to be conveyed from place to place, and may b made of any suitable material, but preferably of India rubber, or other water-proof material Around the upper or open end of the sack I secure a wire or metal rod, a., bent into any suitable form, the most convenient being that of an ellipse. The

-ruode of attaching the rod or wire to the sack or bag is immaterial, but, perhaps, the most secure and convenient way is to sew it in.'

The ends of the wire a are provided with hookB or rings b'b, the object of which will be hereafter explained.

By this arrangement, a convenient-shaped 'mouth for receiving the matter to be deposited in the sacks is obtained, and all' that is necessary todo to prepare it for receiving the mail is to suspend it by any convenient or usual method by the wire, withthe mouth upward.

To close and secure the mouth of the bag, I employ a lid or cover, B, made 'of wood, vulcanized rubber, or other suitable material. I prefer vulcanized rubber, on account of its not being easily split or broken. This lid is also made in the form of an ellipse, in order to iitthe opening or mouth.

The edge of the cover is provided with a groove, e, passing entirely around it, large enough to receive the wire a.

The vcover is placed in the open mouth, and the wire, around` which the bag is secured, placed in the groove. The two ends of the wire are then drawn together, a semicircular grooved plate, d, protecting and confining the space between the two ends, and fitting closely in the groove at the end of the cover.

The ends of the wire or rod are then coniinedby a padlock, I), or by other suitable means, binding the cover firmly in its place, so that it cannot be removed without first releasing thc ends of the surrounding' wire.

The cover is provided with a suitable handle, E, by which the bags, when filled, can be handled, and a hollow screw, F, is inserted and screwed down through it, leaving a projecting portion above the cover, as shown, through which air can be introduced into the bag, for the purpose of inflating it, when, by turning the screw partly round, so as to shut oli1 the air which has been introduced, the air will be retained inside, if the bag is made of rubber, or air-tight material.

By th's manner of constructing mail-bags, they are rendered much more convenient for receivingthe mailmatter, while the bag, when once closed and locked up, cannot be opened without first taking olf the lock, and any tampering with thecover can easily be def-v tected.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination and arrangement of the cover B, encircling-wire a, and lock 1), substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

ZARA TOUSEY SWEET. [u s] Witnesses: l

E. L. BROWN, F. P. WARREN. 

